Message Board Topic 8/18

[Comsie]

Occasionally, when writing a story (especially if it's a 'story arc'), it becomes necessary to create a somewhat 'unlikeable' character to carry the story towards a certain revelation or change. These characters might be unattractive, unlovable, mean, cruel, selfish, hateful, boring or dull, or just plain abrasive in their every attitude in general. When you have a character like that, it can be really difficult to keep readers interested in continuing to read about this...questionable person.

 

Despite the fact that these unlikable traits come with some level of true 'purpose'...it can still be a hard sell to a lot of folks who might be looking to 'enjoy' themselves more with the stories they read.

 

So the question this week is...how can an author (Based on what you've written or what you've read) carry an unlikable main character in a story without turning off his or her audience? How can someone expect people to enjoy reading about these despicable and detestable bastards long enough to actually make a 'point' in the long run. Lord knows that I've tried, with stories like "Magic Man" and "Scandalous" and a few others, but it doesn't always get the most favorable of results. And yet, Dickens' character of 'Scrooge' in "A Christmas Story" remains one of the most respected characters out there. How do you take an unlovable character, and turn them into a hero of the people? You've read the stories before, what captures your attention most? Let us know what you think!

[Graeme]

I sort of did that with my first novel, where the lead character was depicted as homophobic.

 

The short answer is that I didn't even try to make him a 'hero of the people'. I know I had a number of people tell me that they couldn't finish the story because they couldn't stomach the lead character, and I had to accept that. My goal was to make him 'real', which included enough likeable characteristics that readers had something to hold onto. Everyone is a mix of likeable and unlikeable characteristics. Generally, most people have more likeable than unlikeable parts, but focusing on one of the unlikeable parts (like my character who freaked out when a good friend came out of the closet) came turn readers off. That's life.

[Tiger]

I took a risk in creating a character with a real dark side. He was definitely the the anti-hero, and sometimes his actions were questionable at best and deplorable at worst. If the character has enough redeeming qualities, then it outshines the bad, thus maintaining the readers' interest.

[TalonRider]

If you're referring to the story I think you are, all I can say is, it's their loss for not continuing.

[JamesSavik]

Every person is a mix of characteristics- some positive, some negative. It's unrealistic that a person be all positive or all negative- saints and demons excluded of course.

 

What some people define as a positive or negative characteristic, others may see as neutral or a complete opposite. A whole lot of it depends on the eye of the beholder.

 

Perspective means a great deal. If you only know a little bit about a character- superficial information, its easy to make a snap judgment. If you know the whole story, it may make a big difference in how you see a character.

 

For instance: what everybody sees: Seth is a 16 year old thug that a lot of people in school dread. He's got the rep of a dealer, a history of beating people up and no friends. He has a minor criminal record and cops harrass him as do a few teachers, the principal and some prep seniors.

 

What very few people see: Seth's family life is a disaster. His mother is a alcoholic and drug addict living on a disability check which keeps her wacked on pain meds and vodka. Seth is left to take care of his mother and his little sister Angie for whom he is a wonderful, protective big brother. His whole dark side routine comes from providing for his sister after his mom drinks and uses up her whole check.

[Jaydee]

oh yes... yes, yes, yes... perspective is so important, not only in stories but in real life. We look at people in layers and your well written stories are very good at mimicking this feature from the main character's perspective.

Looking at two extreme types of your 'villains', Bobby (Billy Chase) and Chris (A Class by Himself): I'd say that Bobby is a very likeable guy who didn't set out to hurt anybody and is probably less of a villain than the main character, who I love with all my heart! Chris on the other hand is the product of circumstances that led to him becoming popular, a jerk and vindictive. But if you can surmount the nauseating initial reaction you get from him, you can see some very endearing human traits... ironically, I think he was very human in that particular scene in his house with Derrick. He utilised every tool and every bit of knowledge he possessed to try and force Derrick to love him... objectively, you could say that he was showing the reader how little he understood love, yet how desperately he needed it. It was really powerful for me actually... But I can see how readers may wish to not delve into the depths of real, complicated, psychologically damaged 'villains'. I really like your stories as they've been written! But I suppose if you are trying to smooth some edges for the readers who are not accustomed to the darker facets of your stories you could reduce the impact of the actions of the villains by not writing as much about the victims' emotional collateral damage- keep the actions the same, but don't draw attention to the repercussions as much as you normally do. That leaves some breathing room for readers to reflect on the actions and maybe imbibe them with their own judgments if they want to focus on the darker side. Other readers who want the simpler narrative might choose to not reflect heavily on the darker actions. That would be less deflating to your stories than simply removing events.

However, I am still inclined to say leave your writing style alone and just put up a warning for readers who may not know what they are getting into.

[PlugInMatty]

I think as long as the character is interesting, people will overlook, even embrace their flaws.

 

Well, they'd better, or else I'm screwed haha

[J_Ross]

Actually, one of the novels, I'm currently reading features a main character that's not likeable in the slightest...but I've fallen in love with him. He abuses (not physically) those that care about him, he's selfish, and cruel overall but he's probably my favorite character in the book. You don't want to like him, but you can't really help it. There are reasons for the things he does, and he never uses them as an excuse. He accepts who he is and really doesn't care what others think.

 

A similar character, more popular than the one I'm talking about, would be Brian Kinney (QAF, US). There's no reason to like him, he's a selfish prick, but most do.

 

In my experience, though, an unlikeable character...is going to be just that unless you create some sort of 'background' to create sympathy, or something like that. Maybe give him some redeeming qualities. Reason's for the way he behaves. If he's all bad for absolutely no reason, personally, I'm going to hate him. However, if there's some sort of reasonable motivation behind his actions, I'm likely to be intrigued and read on. The problem for me with 'all bad' characters is the exact problem I have with 'all good' characters. They lack in depth. They're one-demensional and aren't likely to hold my attention.

 

This is turning tl;dr, but I think that characters (even if they're bad) should do fine as long as they are relatable to the majority.

Edited August 30, 2008 by J.Ross